Fire-alarm box.



No. 820,700. PATBNTED MAY 15, 1906.

L. & F. G. CAMPBELL. Y

FIRE ALARM BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1905, I

4 SHE-BTS-SHBBT 1.

mus

- unl Ill wi tvmooco W-v L. & F. G. CAMPBELL.

FIRE ALARM BOX.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 4, 1905.

PATENTED- MAY 15, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

L. & F. G. CAMPBELL. FIRE ALARM BOX. APPLIGATION FILED APR.4,1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

wit 1400000 No. 820,700. 'PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

L. & F. e. CAMPBELL.

FIRE ALARM BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4,-1905.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

nnrrnn snares earns-r carton.

LOUDOUN oanrnnnnann riiann e; 'canrsnnn OF WASHINGTON,

' DISTRICT on connnsra.

, era-earners ca.

no. seonoo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 15,1906.

Application filed April 4. 1905- fSjerial Eo.. 253l79l5.

.To all whom it maig concern: Be it known that we, LoUnoUN CAMPBELL and FRANK G. CAMPBELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Washington, in the ously with the main alarm, thereby affording protection against false alarms by making certain the detection of any one turning such false alarms.

The invention is designed to serve substantially the same purpose as the device v June 21, 196%.

v shown in Letters Patent No. 763,042, issued The present device, hoW-' ever, possesses advantages not possessed by the deviceshown in said patent.

It has'been found that many people are'ig norant of the pro er method of turning in an alarm of fire forts have beentmade to prevent false ttlarms of fire by providing local alarms at the box which served-to call attention to the fact that an alarm was "being turned in over said box. It was found, hoW- ever, that in many instances the operator of the box omitted to perform the essential act of setting the main-alarm mechanism in motion, because they supposed that the firealarm had been turned in when the local alarm sounded upon opening the door of the main box.

To meet these conditions the present invention comprises a' main alarm, a. local alarm, and a member controlling both of said alarms, whereby they may be sounded si-' multaneously and whereby the operator will be required to perform but one action 'in turning in an alarm. I

i The primary object of the erection of firealarm boxes is of course to transmit to firealarm headquarters alarms of firewhen fires are discovered. To properly sound themain alarm is therefore of the utmost importance, the prevention of false alarms being second- Y ary thereto. As will be presently described,

the initial movement of the operating-lever sounds the main alarm immediately, after which a spring-actuated local alarm is released and continues to sound for sometime after the movement of its releasing-lever has ceased. a

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fire-alarm boxhaving a local alarm resting directly upon the top of said box, said local alarm comprising a s ring actuated motor adapted to be direct y engaged and cut out of action by the member which con trols the main alarm, thereby roviding a neat, compact, and ornamentiallfire-alarm box and enabling expensive and unreliable connections between the local-alarm and said main-alarm controllingmember to be dispensed with.

Afurther object of the invention is the provision of a frangible device containing directions for the operation of the box, said hangible device normally locking the controlling member against movement, and also of a hammer or analogous member secured directly to said box in' a position where it will be readily accessible at all times for the pur pose of fracturing said frangibledevicef A further object of the invention is the provision of improved means for locking the i0- cal-alarm casing to the main box, whereby said local-alarrncasing maybereadily applied to boxes now in use. v p y I A further object ofth'einvention istheprovision in a fire-alarm box of a main and localalarm, a member controlling both of said alarms, a member'normallytendin'g to force the door of the fire-alarm box open, and

-means for cutting both of said alarms out of ,action when itis desired to permit an in ,spector or other o'fliciai to open said box, Q'Whereby said alarms will not at such time be sonnde Further objects and advantages of the invention will'be set'forth in the detailed description which now follows.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a fire-alarm box having my attachments applied thereto, showing the parts in their:. normal ,l ppsition. Fig. 2 is t. perspective view of a e-alarm jbox having ,my invention applied thereto, showing the position the parts assume when the main controlling memberhas been actuated to 0 en.

the door of the box and set the main an local alarms in operation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a fire alarm box such as is shown in Fig; 1. Fig.4 is a detail perspectiveview of used for locking t out of action, as will be hereinafter set forth.

a hook-pulling member hereinafter described. Fig. 5 1s a detail erspective view of a pin fie local-alarm mechanism Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the door of the main box and the fastening devices therefor. Fig. 7 is an elevation ofthe bolt shown in Fig. 6. Fi 8 is an elevation of a portion of the local-a arm-motor frame and of the winding-key of said motor. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of a portion of the controllinglever and of the frangible device carried thereby, illustratingthe mannerof locking said frangible device a ainst removal by unauthorized persons. ig. 10 is an elevation of a modified form of the invention, and Fig. 1 1 is a vertical section of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 10. p

Like numerals designate similar parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawin s, the numeral5 designates a fire-alarm '%ox carrying the usual inner casing 6, which contains the mainalarm mechanism, which is set'in operation by the depression of hook 7. The main box 5 is provided with the usual door 8, which carries the shuntins 9, which serve when said door is close to shunt the. box out of circuit in the usual, and well-known manner. Pivoted to the inner casin 6 is a. substantially Z-shaped lever 10, w 'ch is forced upward a ainst a stopin 11 by a spring 12. Secure to the inner ace of door- 8 is a lock 13, having a longitudinally-movable bolt 14, the keyhole of saidlock registering with a keyhole 15, formed in door 8, (see Fig. 1,) whereby the lock 13 is controllable from the exterior of the main box. Pivoted to the outerend of bolt 14 (see Fig. 4) is a camknuckle 16, grooved, as at 17, and formed with a workin face 18. Said cam-knuckle 16 is normally lield in alinement with bolt 14 by a spring 19, one end of which is secured to bolt 14 and the free end of which bears a ainst the rear of the cam-knuckle. Pivote at 20to the door'8 is a shaft 21, upon which is mounted a controlling-lever 22. Upon one end of shaft 21 is mounteda cam 23, which bears against andcom resses a fiat spring 24 when the door 8 is c osed. (See Fig. 3.)

When in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, lever 22 is locked against movement by a piece of glass or other frangible device 25, which is inserted in slides 26 and 27, slide 27 being secured to lever 22 and slide 26 being secured to a latch 28, which is pivoted at 29 to lever 22 and carries upon its inner end a hook 30, adapted to engage a locking-lug 31, carried by door 8. A fiat spring 32 :normally tends to hold said latch 28 in engagement with locln'ng-lug 31.

Referrin particularly to Fig. 9, it will be seen that s ide 27 is grooved for the fees tion of the frangible device and that said I adapte frangible device is mounted in a bushing- 33, which is recessed, as at 34, for the reception of a pin 35. Bushing 33 is fastened to the 'franglble member, and in placing said member 111 osition pin is placed in recess 34 and the angible member and bushing are slid into position in the slide27, until recess 34 registers with a recess 36, formed in said slide, at which time the pin 35 drops into said latter recess, thereby lockin the fran ible member into position in sai slide. I desired, the inspector or other oflicial may remove said frangible member by insertin a small Wire or tool in an opening 37, forme in slide 27, and lifting pin 35 until it is free of said slide. It is apparent that the frangible member and its bushing might then be removed.

Mounted u on a saddle 38 or formed integral with sai saddle, as desired, is a localalarm casing '39, in which is mounted a bell 40, adapted to be sounded by strikers 41, mounte upon the striker-arms 42 of a rotating spider, to which motion is imparted by a spring-actuated motor 43, which may be of any desired construction, but is shown in the present instance as comprising a spring 44, a windin -ratchet 45, a arge gear-wheel 46, to be driven by spring. 44, and a pinion 47, with which said large gear meshes and which is mounted upon a shaft 48 of striker-arms 42. A pinion 49, fast upon a shaft 50 and meshing with gear 46, imparts rotative motion to sald shaft 50 and also to a crank-finger 51, carried upon the inner end of said shaft. A trip 52, comprising the rod 53 and the cam-heads 54 and 55, is held when the parts are in their normal position in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 by a pin 56, which is carried by the upper end of the controlling-lever 22 and enga es cam-head 55, at which time cam-head 54 'es in the path of movement of crank-finger 51, and thereby prevents rotation of said crank-finger, and consequently of the local-alarm motor.

It is desirable in adding the local-alarm attachment and hook-pulling devices, herein shown and described, to the boxes now in use to attach the local-alarm casing to said boxes with as little change in the structure of To'this end a detion of the sadd e and local-alarm casing in such manner that the end 58 thereof will drop by gravity into a notch 59, formed in the main box, when the outer curved-over ends 60 of the saddle are slip ed over the caves of the box' and the local-a arm casing and said saddle slid into position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. To provide readily-obtainable means for fracturing the frangible device which normally locks the main controlling member against movement, a hammer or its equivalent 61 is fastened by a chain 62 to the door of said box.

sear t The operation of the form of the invention just described is as follows: When the door.

8 is closed, the free end of the Z-shaped lever lever when the door of the'box is forced open.

When said lever is depressed, it strikes and depresses the. hook 7 to thereby permit the main alarm to sound. The" closing of the door and the placing ofthe partsin the position illustrated in Fig. 3 causes a pin 65, carried by shaft 21 and engaging a camoove 66 of the door-securing bolt 6?, to shi said bolt into the position shown in Fig. 6, thereby to hold said door closed. I At this time the flat spring 23 is. compressed between the inner casing 6 and the face of cam 23. B referring to Fig.3 it will be seen that the anible device serves to hold the outer end of latch 28 in its elevated position, and consequentlyits inner end in engagement withthe locking-lu 31; It is manifestly impossible, therefore, or the main controlling member to be moved from its normal position until said frangible device is broken. When it is desired to turrr'in an alarm of fire, the operator fractures the frangible device 25 by means of hammer 61. He then grasps handle 68 of latch 28 and pulls the controlling-lever outwardly and downwardly. The initial movement of said lever and cam-23 further com-- presses spring 24. A very slight movement of said lever is required to move bolt 67 far enough to release door 8. Further movement of lever 22, as well as the action of sprin 24, will then serve to, force the door 8 open ar enough to cause cam-knuckle16, by

riding over the free end of lever 10, to depress said lever; and consequently the main-alarmcontrollizng hook 7. If-the operator should now, through ignorance, slam the door to its closed position, the member that has just served to pull the hook would not come in contact with said hook, but would merely slip into position to again repeat the operation. Immediately upon withdrawing pin 56 from its contact with cam-head 55 trip 52 dro s from engagement withcrank-finger 51 and permits the ocalalai'm to sound, as will be readily understood. If it be desired to permit an inspector or other official to have access to the fire-alarm box without actuating the main alarm, said inspector may insert a key into keyhole 15 and throw bolt 14 into such position thatfthe knuckle 16 will no longer lie in-th'e'rear of the free end of the Z shaped lever 10. lit it be desired to'lock the local alarm out of action at the same time,

the door of theloeal-alarm casing may be %pened and a pin 69, such as is illustrated in g. 5, may be inserted in any one of the recesses 69 formed in the local-alarm motor frame, at which time said pin will lie in the path of movement of the winding-key 70 of said alarm and will thereby prevent said winding-key from turning. Lever 22 may now be pulled down and door 8 opened without sounding either the main or local alarms. By providing a frangible device for normally locking the main-alarm mechanism in motion a' person desiring to turn in an alarm over such a device as is herein shown and de scribed is obliged to come to a full stop before said box long enough to break said frangible member, thereby obviating the possibility of some malicious person in a crowd operating the box by a quick and unobserved movement By providing a spring which normally tends to force the door open the sounding of the am alarm is rendered certain as soon as the oor of the box is released by the initial movement of the lever 22.

B mounting the local-alarm casing di-. rect y upon the top of the box andby having shown and described between the local-v alarm casing and the main box it is possible to securesaid main-alarm casing to the fire- -alarn1 box without tapping holes for screws or other fastening devices into said fire-- alarm box. I

In Figs. 10 and 11a modified form of the device is illustrated. In this instance the local-alarm casing is constructed with. an

in the usual mann'enisnormall locked against movement by a lass? 6 whic is slipped into a groove of sai handle and-into a slide 77,- c'arried b the-door 8. The hook-controlling mem ersin this form of the device are the same as those illustrated in the preferred form. A flat sprin 78 bears between the inner casing 6 and t e door 8 and normally tends to-foroe said door 0 en.

It is apparent that t e frangible device herein shown and described may be ap lied to fire-alarm boxes independently of the scribed. It is also apparent thatit is not absolutely essential to ave a local alarm in IIO hook-pulling devices herein shown and de-v to' drop and release the door when the glass is broken. Flat spring 78 would then act to force said door open and set the alarm in motion'without any other movement on the art of the operator than the breaking of the g ass. From the foregoing description it Wlll be seen that simple and efiicient means are herein provided for accom lishing the objects of the invention; but while the elements shown claim is 1. A'fire-alarm box having adoo'r, a lever located upon the exterior face of said door, a main-alarm mechanism, means for setting said main-alarm mechanism in motion when said lever is actuated and a frangible plate one .edge of which engages said lever and the other edge of which engages a fixed member carried by the door.

2. The combination with a fire-alarm box of a local-alarm casing resting upon said box, the bottom of said casing having an o ening formed therein, a detent pawl or later pivoted in said opening, the lower end of said pawl being adapted to engage a-portion of the fire-alarm box and the upper end of said pawl projecting above its pivotal point.

3. In a fire-alarm box, the combination with a main-alarm mechanism, of local-alarm mechanism, members engagin and controlling both of said alarms and t edoor of the fire-alarm box and a frangible device normally locking one of said members against movement;

4. The combination with a fire-alarm box, of a hook-pullin member carried by the door of said box, sai hook-pulling member comprising a cam-carrying member and a cam pivoted to said cam-carrying member.

5. The combination, with a fire-alarm box, of a hookulling member carried by the door of said box, said hook-pulling member comprising a cam-carrying member and a cam pivoted to said cam-carrying member and a spring which normally holds said cam in alinement with the cam-carrying member.

6. The combination with a fire-alarm box, of a hook-pulling member, said hook-pulling member comprising a cam-carrying member and a cam pivoted to said cam-carrying member and adapted to give in one direction.

7. The combination with a fire-alarm box,

purpose of locking the doorof main-alarm mechanism, local-alarm mechanism, a member controlling said main-alarm mechanism, a lever pivoted for swinging movement adjacent said alarm-control g member, a cam carried by the door of the fire-alarm box, adapted to engage said swingirig lever, a lock for said door and a lever controlling said lock. 7

8. In a fire-alarm box, the combination with a main-alarm controlling hook or the like, of a member carried upon the inner face of the door of the box and adapted to depress said hook when the door is opened, a doorcontrolling lever located upon the exterior of the box,-a frangible device which prevents movement of said lever until broken, means for automatically forcing said door open when released, a local-alarm bell located upon the top of the box, a sprin -motor for sounding said bell, a trip for sai motor the lower end of which extends below the top of the fire-alarm box and a member carried by the door and adapted to hold said trip in an elevated position to thereby prevent the local-alarm bell from sounding as'long as said door is closed.

9. The combination with a fire-alarm box, of main-alarm mechanism, local-alarm mechanism, members .controlling both of said mechanisms, a frangible device normally locking one of said members against movement means for setting the main-alarm mechanism in motion when said last-named member is actuated, and means for throwing both the main and local alarm mechanisms out of action, said main-alarm-co-ntrolling member being located upon the exterior of the box and beyond the plane thereof.

10. The combination witha fire-alarm box, of main-alarm mechanism, comprising a hook, a lever pivoted for swinging movement over said hook, means carried by the door of the box for actuating said lever and means controllable from the exterior of the fire alarm box for withdrawing said actuating means from engagement with said lever.

11. In a fire-alarm box, the combination with a main-alarm mechanism, of local+alarm mechanism, a lever pivoted upon the door of the box and adapted when actuated to operate the main alarm and to release the door of the box and a frangible device which normally locks said lever against movement.

12. In a fire-alarm box, the combination with an alarm mechanism, of an alarm-controlling hook or the like, a member adapted to depress said hook and means carried by the door of the box adapted to snap behind the said member when said door is closed and to actuate said member when said door is opened.

13. In a fire-alarm box, the combination with an alarm-controlling member of means carried by the door of the box for automatically actuating said alarm-controlling member as the saiddoor is opened, said means being so arranged as" not to' strikesaid alarmcontrollingmember when the door of the box is closed? 14. A fire-alarm box having a door, a lever pivoted for swinging movement upon the ex) .terior of said door, saidlever having a roove formedin the under face thereof, and a a'ngi ble plate on'e edge of which engages in said iiocve and the other edge of which engages a ed member carried by the door. i

. 15. In a fire-alarm box, the combination of a main-alarm-controlling hook or the like,

' means carried upon the innerface of the door enga ement with the hook, a lever. control- 7 ling t e door of the box, a spring which tends to force said door open, and a fran ible device which rcventsmovement of t e doorcontrolling everuntil broken.

16. In a fire-alarm box, the combination witha' main-alarm mechanism, of a. localalarm casing situated upon the top of said,

box, a bell'in said casin a spring-actuated motor for. soundin sai bell, members engaging and control ing both the main-alarm mechamsm and said spring-actuated motor and a frangible, device normally locking one of said members against movement, said lattermember being located upon the exterior 'ot the .door of the fire-alarm box."

17. In a fire-alarm box, the combination with a main-alarm mechanism, of local-alarm mechanism, members engaging and controlling both of said alarms, means normally tending to force the door of the fire-alarm box open and a frangible device normally locking one of said'controlling 'members against movement. 1

18. The combination with afire-alarm box, of mainalarm mechanism, a member controlling said mechanism, and means for actu-.

ating said member, said means com rising a bolt controllable from the exterior o the box and a cam member pivoted to said bolt and adapted to give in one. direction.

formed therein, a frangible plate, one edge of which engages in said'- groove and the opposite edge of whichenga'ges a fixed member on the door, main-alarm mechanism and means for automatically setting said main-alarm mechanism. in motion when said door is 5 opened. ,r. i v

' 20. The combination with a fire-alarm box,

of a local alarm adapted to be enga ed and] cut out of action by a projection of t e door of the fire-alarm box when said door is closed, a lever-controlling said door and a frang ble device normally engaging and locking said lever against movement.

-Ineans for locking said s1t1on.

21 The combination with afire-alarm box .of a local alarm adapted to be enga ed and cut out of action by a' 'rojection of t e door of the firelarm box w on said door isclosed, a member controlling saiddoor and a frangible device normally locking said member against movement.

22. Thecombination with afire-alarm box," i

of a hook-pill member carried b the door I "of said box, Said y ho-ok-dpulling member com; pris' "a key-controlle bolt, a cam pivoted :to' sea bolt, and a spring which normally 'holds said cam-in alinement withsaid bolt.

23. The combinationwith a fire-alarmbox,

of mainalarm mechanism, a member the movement of which sets said main-alarm mechanism in motion, located uponthe extenor of the box, a frangible device normally locln'ng said member"'ag ainstbmovement and angi y le devicein po-' 24.. The combination with a fire-alarm box,

of a main-alarm, a local alarm, members enigfaginand controlling both of'said alarms, a

ang1

le device normally lockin one of said members against movement an means for normally locking said frangible device in osition, said main-alarm-controllin mem er being located upon the exterior o the firealarmbox. 4

25. In a fire-alarm box, the combination with mam-alarm mechanism, of local-alarm mechanism, members engaging and controlling both of saidalarms', 'a fran ble devicenormally locking one of said mem ers a ainst movement, means lndependent of sea controlling member for locking both the main and local alarms out of action and means for locking said frangible device I into position, said main-aIarm-controlling member being located in a lane beyond and infront of the door of the die-alarm box. a I 26. The combination with a fire-alarm box,

of a door, fastening means for said door, a

hook-pullingmember carried by the'door and adapted ,to give in one direction when-the I 'door of the box is closed and means 'for forcing the door of the fire-alarm box open when its fastening devices'are released. 19. A fire-alarm box having a door, a lever controlling said door and having a groove 27 .fThe combination with afire-alarm box of ame'mber located u on the exterior of said box,.main-alarm mec anism, means for sea I ting said main-alarm mechanism in motion when said member is actuatedpa frangible device which normall prevents movement of said member and a coal alarm adapted to be set in operation when said member is-ac-" ber and means normally tending to force the door of said box open, a main-alarm mechanism and means for setting said main alarm I3 mechanism in motion when the door of the fire-alarm box is opened.

.29. The combination with a fire-alarm box of a local alarm adapted to be enga ed and cut out of action by a rejection of t e door of the fire-alarm'box w en said door is closed, a member controlling said. door, a frangible device normally locking said member against movement, a main-alarm-controlling member', and means carried by the door of the box for actuating said main-alarm-controlling member'when said door is opened.

'30. In a" fire-alarm box the combination with a main alarm of a local alarm, a lever, a frangible'device normally locking said lever a ainst movement and -meanswhereb both t e main and local alarmswill be set 1n mo tion when said lever is actuated. 1

31. A fire-alarm box having a door controlling member mounted u jon the face of the door of said box and a angible device which prevents movement of said member until broken but which does not cover said member.

32. A fire-alarm box having a-movable member located upon the exterior of said box, 

